Operation: REBIRTH
by DrinkingAlcoholicRainbows
Summary: "So tell me, if you had the chance to be reborn as another human being…would you?" :: Parallels between the main six Avengers and various HP characters. Six part fic. Chapter Six: Harry Potter and Tony Stark.
1. blue eyes :: bill & steve

_**BILL WEASLEY / STEVE ROGERS**_

* * *

There was once a man of rich, red hair. Oldest of seven, respected by all. He wanted to help, that was it, for his family was poor and he was only glad to aid his humble father and his tired mum. That sounds like the story of a modern-day fairytale, does it not? But he had a gift, a gift of_ magic_, and by the time he was seventeen, he was a Curse Breaker at the wizard bank of Gringotts. He worked with goblins at the brinks of Egypt, and was a very patient man for being so. When he was defending his home – _Hogwarts_, it was his school, it was where he grew up from a boy to a _man_ – his face was marred by a werewolf with the name of_ Fenrir Greyback_. His senses were heightened and he had a strange desire to eat raw meat, but he found love with pretty blue eyes. He was happy.

In another time, in another _world,_ really, there was a little boy with bright, blonde hair. He wasn't all that much to look at really, but he had a big heart, that's what they always told him. That's what matters the most, that's what they always told him. But he felt as if he was too _weak_ to make the difference he wanted to make. He drank a Super Soldier serum to aid himself, and eventually he started to build his reputation and go up the ranks in the army. But his plane fell and he was stuck in a glacier, and seventy years later he finds himself called a legend, a hero. He was glad. It meant that he fulfilled his duty to his nation in his own way, even if he had some help.

Their names were Bill Weasley and Steve Rogers, one was a wizard and the other a superhero, but they both were influenced by some outside force, always glad to help, always joyous, always patient. They also had blue eyes.

Those eyes that always seemed to shine.

* * *

_**"Elysium. That's what it's all about. That's the place for heroes."**_


	2. chance :: draco & thor

_**DRACO MALFOY / THOR ODINSON**_

* * *

Spoiled, rotten, stupid snake. He's been called that plenty of times before. He doesn't mind, for they were just lowly in comparison to him. He was an elite Pureblood, he had dignity, he had pride; and was that really such a bad thing? He thought not. But then it was too much, he couldn't find out, he was in too deep. He was scarred, he was terrified, he wanted to go to his father and tell him he doesn't want to do this anymore. He wants to quit being the bad guy. He wants to find peace. But he couldn't, he was going to do horrifying things, he was going to be the villain, oh dear Merlin, he was going to _kill_. He sobs again, because the only one who would listen to him was a ghost. He doesn't deserve it, he says, but he does and he knows it.

But he, on the other hand, was almost the exact opposite. He was courteous, he was kind, he was a good person. But, then again, he was never a person. He was a god. God of thunder, actually. He was of Asgard, he was of another world. The Fates have never foretold him about his descent to Midgard, though maybe they did and didn't bother tell him, but he enjoyed it here. It was so, so…fast. Swift as thunder, he would laugh. It was wonderful to watch these mortals go on, so carefree, so happy. They would walk the streets of the city, not noticing the god watching them. He couldn't help it. He was curious, these mortals were downright fast, and he always did have a grand time trying to keep up. Then he's laughing again, because why not? After a long day of saving the world, he at least deserves to have this.

Thor Odinson was Draco Malfoy's second chance. This was him trying to be a better person, even in another life. He at least deserved that.

* * *

_"**This is the River of Forgetfulness. If one drop of that water gets on you, you'll start to forget who you are. ****Souls come here if they choose to be reborn.**"_


	3. curse :: remus & bruce

_**REMUS LUPIN / BRUCE BANNER**_

* * *

It was horrible. One minute he was strolling around the cemetery grounds, trying to erase the sight of his brother, his twin's, grave. The next he was on the hard, uneven ground, gasping and sobbing and being torn apart and _ohgodthathurtsso_**_bad_**. And his dad was fighting the horrid man on top of him, but he wasn't a man, not really, more like a wolf. Then he understood just fine after that. Full Moon plus a wolfish man. Werewolf. He was going to be a werewolf. And if anything, it was going to hurt much, much more than sharp claws shredding him into pieces.

It wasn't much different for this other man, except there weren't any such mythological beings around, but it was still terrible. He was a scientist; he messed around with chemicals; he did not consider even a thought in such mundane beliefs. But there was an explosion. That was as much as he could remember before the molecules latched themselves onto him, stretching his bones, and the pain of it. He screamed. His body was trying to fight back, his lungs were losing air. In the end he was big, green, and a monster. And he fled.

Horrible, terrible. Two words, with a meaning so close to each other they can be mistaken for it. They perfectly described one part of a little man who chose rebirth. Remus Lupin did not know that his curse would pass on to his next life of Bruce Banner. There was no escaping it, really.

* * *

_**"There's a court for dead people?"**_


	4. fierce :: minerva and natasha

_**MINERVA MCGONAGALL / NATASHA ROMANOV**_

* * *

Scottish, wasn't she? Well, she certainly wasn't loud, and she certainly wasn't drunk. She can't deny that she liked to wear plaid, of course. But she was getting old, she was getting frail, and she was getting weak. She sighs in resignation. She's used to it. But she misses the days when she would run freely in the wind, when her voice wasn't raspy, when she was at the top of her game and she was beautiful and she was practically a queen in all her grace. It was the curse of youth, she supposed, that it never lasts. So she sits in Headmistress' office and watches the children grow, her little lions' cubs grow. It's too fast, she can't keep up with her too old legs, and they're too young. Aren't they all? So she sits back and watches the kids be fierce in their youth, as she once was. But she has grown up, and somehow she's even fiercer than when she was just a Scottish lass.

Russian, she was. Cold. Quiet. Lurking in the shadows. Deadly. But she was strong-willed, she had fire, she was fierce. She held a gun at the age of five and killed a man at ten. A little survivor in the snow, wasn't she? She always was. Like a snow leopard, some said. They had been ignored. But she sauntered to her prey and she had them fast. She was cold, but wasn't there still a bit of fire to go for everyone? Fierce, some said. But she watches and she waits and then suddenly she had your heart out. Then she left. She always left. Missions. Important things. SHIELD business. Assassin business. Avengers business. Those sort of things. Wasn't she always busy, always on the move? Yes she was. Fierce, she was. In some ways, she has more fire and more fierce than the typical Russian girl.

Once upon a time, Minerva McGonagall was fierce. But she passed away and she was reborn. Her name was Natasha Romanov, and somehow she was even fiercer than that. Fierce and young.

* * *

**"Where are your ghosts? ****Everyone has ghosts – deaths you regret. Guilt. Fear. Why can I not see yours?"**


	5. lost :: cedric and clint

_**CEDRIC DIGGORY / CLINT BARTON**_

* * *

He was nice, he was charming, he was gorgeous. Most people said he was perfect. Most people stared, pointed, and whispered: "That's the boy who has everything. That's the boy who had everything from the start." And he did. His parents were alive and well, he was great at all his classes, and he had a girl to love. But he wasn't corrupted by all his swarming fans, and that makes him even more perfect in their eyes because that means he's strong. And he was, he was. He lived seventeen years as the innocent child who had a bright future going for him. Seventeen. That's long enough, don't you think? He lost it all in mere seconds. As his father cried for his broken son; as Harry Potter grieved and grieved for this lost man; as Dumbledore made sure he had the respect he deserved; most people stared, pointed, and whispered: "That's the boy who lost it all. That's the boy who lost."

But he wasn't much to look at. Not that he'd like them to, anyway. He was an assassin, and he had to stay in the shadows for his job. And he didn't have it all, not really. And his life was never famous. He was never remembered. His life is filled with secrets, and the only mark he ever left were his arrows; the ones that always hit the target. His aim always had to be perfect. Always. So when he had his mind taken over, he watched for the time when he could strike back. It never came. But she, she saved him. A little hurt in the head, but he was fine. And then he was an Avenger. He was part of a team. He saved the world. He saved the world with his team. With what he could–somehow–call friends. And he's happy with what he got. He lost it, but it came back. He can live with that.

They are too different, no? But they both lost it all, especially Cedric Diggory. The difference is, Clint Barton had the time to piece himself back together.

* * *

_**"Nothing special, good or bad. So they go to the Asphodel Fields."**_


	6. broken :: harry and tony

_**HARRY POTTER / TONY STARK**_

* * *

Broken. That's what you are. Haven't you always been? It's true. Stuck in a cupboard under the stairs; beaten up by a rotten uncle; ignored by a foolish aunt; bullied by a spoiled cousin; and alone. Friendless. Lonely. Isn't that your life? They say you're special, and you want to laugh just a bit, but that would be rude and you're not rude. But you're not anything either, so you keep your mouth shut and be quiet. Then there's this giant–by god, he's big–he takes you up, for once you smile, and says, "Yer a wizard, Harry." You don't believe that, but you manage to hold on just for a bit, even if it's just a stupid dream. But then you find that magic is real, oh my god, and–guess what–you're magic too. You're still broken, of course, you're still broken. No magic can heal that, or fix you. But you find a girl, two best friends, lots of friends, three kids, grandkids, one family, a home–and now you're on your deathbed. Then you're gone; you were still broken of course, when you died. But you couldn't help but think as you lost your breath; that maybe you're a little bit fixed now.

Jagged; you're a rough piece. Always have been. An unknown genius, the child that you feel never existed. Did you even live? Sometimes you think you are only a dream, that you're not real. They said that when you are a person you are loved. But you are not loved. Does that mean you're not a person? Oh–great. You're crying now. You're so useless, really. Just build, build, build. Like a machine–are you a machine? Looks like it. You can't even make your father notice you; much less be proud. Captain did this, Steve did that, I've got to find him, Tony, you don't understand, you're just a kid; that's what he always says. You scoff, you look away, go back to your room, cry a bit, fix some of the broken prototypes the others left around. Does fixing them mean fixing you? And that's all you do; fix, fix, fix. The company, your reputation, your tech, your suit; everything. Except yourself, and that hurts far too much for you to handle without a drink in your hand. Then–here's the joke, the kicker–Fury pulls you in and asks you to be an Avenger. You don't want to, you don't need to, and you doubt you and the others will ever get along and do something right. But he convinces you, and somehow you're part of a team. You save the world, it's all part of the Avengers Initiative, but eventually you find that you saved yourself this time too. All of them–Steve, Thor, Bruce, Natasha, Clint, and you–are all rough pieces. But you find each other and now you feel you finally completed the puzzle. No damn way are you even close to fixed, but you're getting there. You're getting there.

Green and blue. One and none. You have a curse: you're fierce, lost, broken, and you're only human. So you gave it all and plunged deep into the Lethe. Then you're living in another life. So tell me, if you had the chance to be reborn as another human being…would you?

* * *

_**"The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium. ****Immediately I knew that's where I wanted to go when I died.**"_


End file.
